How To Lay Backer Board On Concrete Floor

Required tools for this project.

How to lay backer board on concrete floor. Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. 5 steps to a sound ceramic floor. The backer board comes in different sizes and you will pick the right one depending on the type of floor you are installing. The various brands of cement board such as hardiebacker durock denshield and wonderboard have become a standard tile backer material for nearly all ceramic porcelain and stone tiles for floor wall and countertop applications.

It has to be rock solid before you lay the 1 2 in. It s available in sheets of many sizes with 3 foot by 5 foot sheets being the most common. Check with wedi schluter laticrete goboard or whichever manufacturer to see how they want their product installed over a concrete subfloor. To achieve the ideal flat surface most contractors rely on the backer board cement backer board is a thin layer of concrete designed to be setting surface upon which tile can be installed.

These convenient panels of cementitious board provide an instant flat hard surface that bonds with the thin set adhesives or mortars used to install tile. This can be beneficial if you are wanting to insulate concrete from an electric floor heating system above it. However a homeowner may need to raise the floor slightly before installing tile and lack the experience or time to install a mortar bed. Learn how to install hardiebacker cement board on wooden floors and the appropriate materials and tools that you ll need for the job.

Concrete is usually a good subfloor on which to install ceramic tile. Using a notched trowel apply a leveling bed of thinset mortar over the subfloor and embed the backer board sheets into the adhesive. The plywood adds stiffness and stability to the floor. Prepare a solid squeak free subfloor one of the keys to a long lasting tile installation is the underlying subfloor.

Spread the mortar to about 3 16 thickness. Floor tiles should be installed over smooth flat surfaces. Placing cement boards over the concrete subfloor is an excellent way to create a solid and smooth subfloor. Cement backerboard is a thin layer of concrete with fiberglass mesh on both sides.

Cement board commonly sold under trade names such as durock hardiebacker and wonderboard is now the standard underlayment used for ceramic porcelain or stone tile laid with thinset mortar adhesive cement board is used for most floor tile and has all but replaced plywood and drywall backer materials for wall tile applications in wet areas like showers and tub surrounds. To avoid building up the floor too high you can use 1 4 in thick backer board instead of 1 2 in. With the plywood in place install the backer board as you normally would.